Promoting healthy eating, active play and sustainability consciousness in early childhood curricula, addressing the Ben10™ problem: a randomised control trial

Background: This paper details the research protocol for a study funded by the Australian Research Council. An integrated approach towards helping young children respond to the significant pressures of ‘360 degree marketing’ on their food choices, levels of active play, and sustainability consciousness via the early childhood curriculum is lacking. The overall goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of curriculum interventions that educators design when using a pedagogical communication strategy on children’s knowledge about healthy eating, active play and the sustainability consequences of their toy food and toy selections. Methods/Design: This cluster-randomised trial will be conducted with 300, 4 to 5 year-old children attending pre-school. Early childhood educators will develop a curriculum intervention using a pedagogical communication strategy that integrates content knowledge about healthy eating, active play and sustainability consciousness and deliver this to their pre-school class. Children will be interviewed about their knowledge of healthy eating, active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. Parents will complete an Eating and Physical Activity Questionnaire rating their children’s food preferences, digital media viewing and physical activity habits. All measures will be administered at baseline, the end of the intervention and 6 months post intervention. Informed consent will be obtained from all parents and the pre-school classes will be allocated randomly to the intervention or wait-list control group. Discussion: This study is the first to utilise an integrated pedagogical communication strategy developed specifically for early childhood educators focusing on children’s healthy eating, active play, and sustainability consciousness. The significance of the early childhood period, for young children’s learning about healthy eating, active play and sustainability, is now unquestioned. The specific teaching and learning practices used by early childhood educators, as part of the intervention program, will incorporate a sociocultural perspective on learning; this perspective emphasises building on the play interests of children, that are experienced within the family and home context, as a basis for curriculum provision. Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12614000363684: Date registered: 07/04/2014

Feasibility of conducting a randomized trial to promote healthy eating, active play and sustainability awareness in early childhood curricula

We sought to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a preschool/kindergarten curriculum intervention designed to increase 4-year-old children's knowledge of healthy eating, active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy choices. Ninety intervention and 65 control parent/child dyads were recruited. We assessed the study feasibility by examining recruitment and participation, completion of data collection, realization of the intervention and early childhood educators’ experiences of implementing the study protocol; our findings suggest the intervention was feasible to deliver. In addition, children's sustainability awareness of non-compostable and recyclable items increased. Children in the intervention group significantly reduced their sugary drink consumption and increased their vegetable intake at follow-up compared to control. We conclude with recommendations for revisions to the child interview and parent questionnaire delivery to ensure the roll out of the randomized trial is conducted efficiently and rigorously.

State of play in early childhood teacher training in Victoria

The study explores the varying changes in emphasis on play within early childhood teacher training. Differing interpretations as to the importance of play are identified as well as the factors impacting on the future of a play-based curriculum.

Performative accountability and early childhood teaching

This paper reports on the findings from a PhD study that investigated influences affecting early childhood teacher decision making at the preschool level in Victoria, Australia. A critical discourse analysis of preschool teacher interviews and curricula related policies found that developmentally appropriate practice was a dominant discourse influencing teacher decision making and, despite no government-mandated curricula framework at the time, teachers were held accountable for their curricula practice. Critical theory was the underpinning framework used for the study and it enabled taken-for-granted understandings to be uncovered within early childhood policies and teacher interviews. The concepts of power, authority, and accountability were examined in policy and in interview transcripts, and subsequently, various forms of control and obligation were brought to the forefront.

Teacher knowledge, child interest and parent expectation: Factors influencing multicultural programs in an early childhood setting

© 2015, Early Childhood Australia Inc. All rights reserved. MULTICULTURAL CURRICULA/PROGRAMS assume an important role within a cultural approach to learning and teaching in early childhood education in New Zealand. Te Whariki, the national early childhood curriculum framework of New Zealand, is an emancipatory and socially constructive document that emphasises equity, social justice and the important position of culture in children's learning and development. In practice this means developing early childhood programs that are sensitive and responsive to the needs and interests of children and families of minority cultures. Drawing on a critical social constructivist framework, this study of one early childhood centre in New Zealand identifies the features of its multicultural curriculum. The paper argues that a devotion to supporting children of minority cultures has persisted in the curriculum, but there is a reliance on mainstream pedagogy focused on children's learning within the centre environment and teachers' subjective knowledge about children's needs.

Building equitable staff-parent communication in early childhood settings : an Australian case study

International research has consistently found that good staff-parent relationships in early childhood centers benefit children, staff, and parents. Given these findings, the Australian federal government's Quality Improvement and Accreditation Scheme (QIAS) requires centers to involve parents in their programs. However, international research has also found that early childhood staff are anxious about their relationships with parents. This article describes a study in which early childhood staff in Australia were asked about their experiences with parent involvement. It draws on those interviews to consider communication strategies to create equitable relationships between staff and parents.

Preparing early childhood professionals to work with parents: the challenges of diversity and dissensus

This article examines how early childhood staff in diverse circumstances negotiate relationships with parents. It draws on interviews with staff in two rural and three urban communities in Australia, who were asked about their parent communication practices, their experiences of these practices, and their preferences within these practices. Their responses were analysed in the light of international research showing the importance of creating strong interpretive communities between staff and parents but consistent staff anxiety about their relationships with parents. The paper explores the extent to which staff's different approaches to communicating with parents can create sustainable interpretive communities between them, and it highlights some implications for staff training and development around parent involvement.

Building capacity: strategic professional development for early childhood practitioners

An innovative framework for early childhood students and professionals using an interactive program titled SAM: A Self-Assessment Manual.

This provides a strategic and guided approach to enable practitioners to respond critically to activities and questions such as: 'Where have I come from?', 'Where am I now?' and 'Where do I want to go next?' The book and an accompanying CD-ROM allow readers to practically apply the framework to everyday practice, individually or as part of a group.

Addresses an identified need within the early childhood profession for targeted career development and professional support.

Comments from those who have used the program include: 'After reflection and discussion SAM has allowed me to set myself new goals for my future career, both in the workplace now and further down the track' and 'SAM has me thinking about current practice, how this relates to different theories and where my philosophy fits in'.

Early childhood caries: current evidence for aetiology and prevention

Background: Despite the fact that it is largely preventable, dental caries (decay) remains one of the most common chronic diseases of early childhood. Dental decay in young children frequently leads to pain and infection necessitating hospitalization for dental extractions under general anaesthesia. Dental problems in early childhood have been shown to be predictive of not only future dental problems but also on growth and cognitive development by interfering with comfort nutrition, concentration and school participation. Objective: To review the current evidence base in relation to the aetiology and prevention of dental caries in preschool-aged children. Methods: A search of MEDLINE, CINALH and Cochrane electronic databases was conducted using a search strategy which restricted the search to randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, clinical trials, systematic reviews and other quasi-experimental designs. The retrieved studies were then limited to articles including children aged 5 years and under and published in English. The evidence of effectiveness was then summarized by the authors. Conclusions: The review highlighted the complex aetiology of early childhood caries (ECC). Contemporary evidence suggests that potentially effective interventions should occur in the first 2 years of a child's life. Dental attendance before the age of 2 years is uncommon; however, contact with other health professionals is high. Primary care providers who have contact with children well before the age of the first dental visit may be well placed to offer anticipatory advice to reduce the incidence of ECC.

Technology education in early childhood setting

Across Victoria, Early Childhood educators are incorporating technology experiences into the daily activities for their children. A small research project, which asked teachers to describe what they did and how they did it, has highlighted some interesting findings. This paper will describe case studies of four pre-school settings and some of the activities undertaken by the children - both as part of the formal program and through incidental play. It will consider these through a socia-cultural framework, noting how teachers used their understandings of play and children's cognitive development, to enhance children's understandings.

Associations between early childhood temperament clusters and later pychosocial adjustment

The study adopted a person-centered approach to examine whether clusters of children could be identified on the basis of temperament profiles assessed on four occasions from infancy to early childhood, and if so whether differing temperament clusters were associated with subsequent differences in behavior problems, social skills, and school adjustment in middle and late childhood. Parent, teacher, and self-report data were obtained from a large community-based cohort sample of Australian children, followed prospectively from infancy to late childhood. Four temperament clusters were identified. Children in the clusters labeled as reactive/inhibited and poor attention regulation tended to have higher levels of later behavior problems than children in clusters labeled nonreactive/outgoing and high attention regulation. Results suggested that a person-oriented clustering approach can identify children on the basis of early temperament who are at greater risk for behavioral, academic, and social difficulties four to eight years later.